Bowazon Build

Use the Amazon’s “Bow and Crossbow skills” tree to crush your enemies

This Amazon build relies on the “Bow and Crossbow skills” tree and uses Bows as main weapons. There are many types of Bowazons that require a different skill building and maybe different equipment. Next to the Javazon build, this is one of the most popular builds.

Bowazon Build Skills

Bowazon’s primary physical skills like Multiple Shot, Strafe and Guided Arrow don’t have synergies. Therefore, they have many points left to invest in the skills of their preference. However, the Bow’s low damage balances this out.

Some players choose to have a healthy Valkyrie in a combination of a maxed out skill such as Multiple Arrow or Strafe. They have the luxury to arrange the rest of the points as they want.

Several of them are placing extra points in the Critical Strike, Penetrate and Pierce skills. Another option is to invest in elemental skills in order to deal with enemies with physical Immunity.

Magic Arrow: It doesn’t need more than one point. It costs just 1,5 mana and doesn’t spend bolts or arrows.
Multiple Shot: Mostly used for PvP as it’s a fast way to cover a larger area. However, only one of the arrows damages a single target. Passive effects like elemental damage can activate only in the middle of the volley.
Guided Arrow: It’s preferable for PvP because its arrows cannot miss.
Freezing Arrow: It launches an enchanted arrow with ice. Many players max out this skill for dealing with enemies with physical Immunity.
Strafe: An essential skill as it auto-targets enemies within its area. In addition, every arrow has the bow’s effects. The character can’t move until the attack is complete, so it isn’t very effective versus a single enemy. It’s more powerful against a larger group of monsters, especially if you have a tank or Decoy to assist you. Max out this.

Inner Sight: This skill often serves as a prerequisite for the other skills in the tree. But it can be useful because it lowers a fair amount of the enemies’ defense. For instance, a level 10 Inner Sight reduces the target’s defense rating by -315.
Critical Strike: It can double an attack’s damage, but investing many points in it feels like a waste.
Dodge: It isn’t worth many of your points, except you are a “Strafer”. Place one point in it as a requirement for the next skills.
Slow Missiles: It slows the speed of incoming missile attacks (Lightning, FireBall, and Charged Bolt). It may sound useless, but it can really slow down enemies’ attacks. It’s totally worth a point.
Avoid: It allows the character to dodge missiles at a fixed rate. Place a point to unlock the other skills of the tree. However, some builds max out this one.
Penetrate: Place also a point here to increase your Attack Rating. You can further boost it by +skills items. Some players invest 5-10 points more to it.
Decoy: It can be very useful as it saves hits from you, your Valkyrie and your mercenary. Decoy is strong at lower levels but eventually loses its power at higher levels and in Hell mode.
Evade: Its effect may sound cool, but practically it doesn’t work so well. We recommend spending one point unless you want to follow a build that relies on it.
Pierce: It gives your arrows the chance to pierce through an enemy, hitting more than one monster. It doesn’t require more than a few points, if not just one.
Valkyrie: It’s your best companion, so max out your Valkyrie. It’s quite healthy and can act as a tank, making your life easier.

Note that some players prefer to max out Critical Chance, Avoid and Evade in combination with Strafe and Valkyrie. It’s a build that invests only in Dexterity and the mandatory Strength.

Bowazon Build Stats

Invest in Strength until you can wear your preferable gear.
The majority of your points will go in Dexterity.
Some players keep the Vitality as it is, while some others prefer to have about 100 points in it.
Keep your Energy at the base
Regarding your Equipment, there are plenty of choices than boost your build’s main attributes

Gear for your Bowazon Build

WEAPON

Buriza-Do Kyanon. If you upgrade it to a Colossus Crossbow (Single Player or Ladder) it is a fast weapon with high damage. It’s also a popular choice for PvP fights due to its Freeze effect.
Goldstrike Arch: When you upgrade it (through the Horadric Cube’s Recipe), it has a very high damage.
Windforce: This bow has a Knockback effect and high damage as well.
Lycander’s Aim: +2 to bow and crossbow skills and +2 to all skills.
Faith: A great runeword that offers up to +2 to skills Fanaticism aura, 300% increase to Attack Rating. The best option is to construct it using a 4-socketed Grand Matron Bow with +3 to bow and crossbow skills.
Passion: Increased attack speed and bonus to Attack Rating.
Harmony
Switch: Call to Arms, Spirit Shield

ARMOR

Twitchthroe: For the Increased Attack Speed.
Crow Caw: Open Wounds and Increased Attack Speed.
Duress: A rune word armor that provides the Crushing Blow effect.
Chains of Honor: +2 all skills, high Resistances.
Fortitude: For the 300% enhanced damage.
Enigma: Teleport, +2 all skills, great attribute boost, Magic Finding chance.
M’avina’s Embrace: +2 to all passive skills.

HELM

Dream: Probably the most popular choice for the Bowazon.
Guillaume’s Face: For the Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike effects.
Tal Rasha’s Horadric Crest: Mostly for the 10 percent life leech and +15 to Resistances.
Vampire Gaze
Crown of Thieves
Stealskull
Giant Skull

BOOTS

Goblin Toe: 25% crushing blow.
Gore Rider: Open Wounds and Critical Strike.
Silkweave: Mana bonuses.
Sandstorm Trek: Increased running speed and Faster Hit Recovery.

BELT

String of Ears: Life Leeching and Physical damage reduction.
Razortail: 33% Pierce chance.
Gloom’s Trap: Life and Mana Bonus.
Arachnid Mesh: Slowing enemies, +1 to all skills.
Nosferatu’s Coil: Life leeching, Increased attack speed, and slowing targets.
Verdungo’s Hearty Cord: Damage reduction and Life bonus.

GLOVES

The Hand of Broc: Dual leeching.
Magefist: Mana bonuses.
Frostburn: +40% to maximum mana and bonus Cold damage.
Soul Drainer: Dual leeching and Lowering Monster Defense.
Dracul’s Grasp: Life Tap.
Steelrend: Crushing Blow and Enhanced Damage.
Laying of Hands: +350% versus Demons.
Any Rare or Magic gloves with 20% increased Attack speed and +2 to Bow skills.

RINGS

Stone of Jordan: Mana bonuses and +1 to all skills.
Bul-Kathos’ Wedding Band: Life bonuses and +1 to all skills.
Manald Heal: Mana related bonuses.
Raven Frost: Cannot be frozen
Cathan’s Seal: For the 6% Leeching.

AMULET

The Cat’s Eye: For the Increased Attack Speed.
Crescent Moon: Dual Leeching.
Atma’s Scarab: Amplify damage.
Highlord’s Wrath: +1 to all skills, Deadly Strike and Increased Attack Speed.
Mara’s Kaleidoscope: +2 all skills and bonus to Resistances.
Any Magic or Rare Amulet with + Passive and Magic skills.

No matter which gear you’ll pick (unique items or runewords), you will always supplement this Bow Amazon Build with the best hellfire torch you can get your hands on, as well as a solid anni.

Mercenary

The most popular choices for a hireling is the Act 2 defensive mercenary (Holy Freeze Aura) or the offensive version of it.